Tesla is ordered to stop pumping out massive amounts of toxic gas
An air quality board has ordered electric car manufacturer Tesla to stop illegally polluting the air in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Tesla has been ordered to fix air quality problems at one of its electric vehicle manufacturing facilities.
The car maker racked up more than 100 violations for allegedly releasing toxic emissions into the atmosphere from the San Francisco Bay plant over the past five years, an air quality board said on Tuesday.
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District planned to issue a written abatement order later this week after Tuesday's announcement.
Each of the 112 violations can emit hundreds of pounds of illegal air pollution, the board said.
The plant is in the city of Fremont, in the East Bay, and the agency's independent hearing board pointed to the facility's paint shop operations as a specific problem.
The board ordered Tesla to hire an independent consultant and develop a proposed implementation plan for approval, which it then must execute to stop the toxic emissions.
'Tesla´s ongoing violations at their Fremont facility pose a risk to public health and air quality in the surrounding community,' Philip Fine, executive officer of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, said.
'This order is crucial to ensure that Tesla takes prompt and effective action to stop harmful emissions and comply with all air quality regulations to protect the health of those living near the facility.'
Tesla's public relations department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.
The board's announcement came as Tesla is recalling its futuristic new Cybertruck pickup for the fourth time in the US to fix problems with trim pieces that can come loose and front windshield wipers that can fail.
In February, a California judge ordered the company to pay $1.5 million as part of a settlement of a civil case alleging the company mishandled hazardous waste at its car service centers, energy centers and a factory.
The complaint filed in San Joaquin County alleged illegal disposal of hazardous waste and violation of laws involving the storage and management of the waste.
Prosecutors said Tesla cooperated with the investigation and acted to improve compliance with laws that were brought to its attention by the prosecutors.
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